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Meat Programs DivisionAnimal Welfare Strategy
Dr. Dennis Will
September 21, 2007
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National Animal Welfare Strategy:(What)
* Animal welfare involves many species (fish tofowl)
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National Animal Welfare Strategy:(What)
* Meat Programs Division responsibility is withslaughter facilities that have federal involvement
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National Animal Welfare Strategy:(How)
* Meat Programs Division1. A new Animal Welfare Specialist
2. Animal welfare policy renewal
3. A new MOP chapter
4. Training material development and training
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National Specialist
Humane Treatment of Animals Program
* New Veterinary position in the Meat ProgramsDivision.
* Focus: Humane treatment of animals at slaughter- liaise with CFIA staff, industry, trading partners, academia
and provinces
- offer advice- provide support to help prevent animal welfare issues from
arising- respond to requests for animal welfare information- training for persons involved with animal slaughter 6
Program Objectives
1. Easy to find consolidated regulatory requirements in one document
2. Provide objective, measurable performance standards
- based on Temple Grandin
- meets 3rd party standards
3. Promote consistent program delivery across the country
4. Build consumer confidence
5. Facilitate International Trade
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The New Animal Welfare Chapter
* Consolidates the animal welfare requirements in onechapter
* Slaughter plants design, implement and monitor thedelivery of their own animal welfare program.
* Outcome based, not prescriptiveEg. Establishments must implement a maintenance program,
but the program does not prescribe how it has tobe done.
* There are some prescriptive components.Eg. Beating of animals, or dragging conscious non-
ambulatory animals are prohibited.
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The New Animal Welfare Chapter
* The CFIA will verify that the establishment’s animalwelfare program is:- compliant with national standards- implemented- effective.Using CVS (Compliance Verification System Tasks)
* The procedure applies to all species.
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Performance Standards
Based on Temple Grandin:*Grandin’s objectives fit well with the new animal welfare chapter
*Emphasizes having an organized plan
*Monitor the effectiveness of the delivery of the plan
Fits with current industry practices:*Many plants already perform third party internal animal welfare audits
*The new chapter will mesh well with these existing activities
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Training Material and Training
*Animal welfare training material is being developed
* Includes material provided by industry
* It is our plan to make training material available to those in industrywho want it
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Input* Input was obtained from red meat and poultry plants, CFIA field
staff and Program staff as well as academia
* The objective was to make the program compatible with existinggood Meat Industry practices.
* To foster an atmosphere of continuous improvement andinnovation
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Dr. Dennis Will
A/National Specialist,
Humane Treatment of Animals
Box #28
247 - 111 Research Drive
Saskatoon, Sk.
S7N 3R2
Tel: (306) 975-5010
Fax: (306) 975-6613
E-mail: [email protected]
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